New awards promote Welsh food and drink

The London launch of the first Taste/Blas 2002 Wales Food and Drink Awards was marked by a lunch cooked by Herbert Berger and featuring Welsh seafood, salt marsh lamb and farmhouse cheeses at 1 Lombard Street last month.

The awards have been created by the Welsh Development Agency to raise awareness locally, nationally and internationally of Welsh food and drink. There are eight categories covering the whole production cycle from plough to plate and each will have a gold, silver and bronze award and cash prizes.

"The very best of taste" award is open to catering outlets and services from restaurants and pubs to school and hospital caterers and aims to recognise innovation and flair. Categories for food manufacturers and producers include "deliciously different" for speciality food and drink products and "originally organic" for accredited organic producers. There will be an Ambassador of the Year award for individual achievement in promoting Welsh food and drink.

To request an entry form, e-mail tasteblas@adas.co.uk, phone 0845 300 0042 or visit the Web site, www.foodwales.com.